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The Action
The team selected this social issue because of the high numbers who have lost their lives in Irish waters and the increasing numbers involved in accidents on the water. In the July 2013, there were 599 rescues made by lifeguards on Irish beaches. Some of these could have been avoided if people had been more careful and followed the rules of safe swimming. Some people don’t know enough about water safety to avoid the dangerous situations in the first instance.
To address the issue the group created an awareness campaign called “Never Swim Alone, Stay in the Lifeguard Zone” which includes a poster that has been displayed in swimming and leisure centres all over the country as well as many other locations, including Dáil Eireann. They have designed t-shirts which have been worn by people all over the country, helping to spread the message. They have presented their campaign to An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny and many other influential public figures. Everyone they have presented to has been very encouraging and has helped to promote the campaign.
To supplement the campaign the team organised an Emergency Response Training Day for all TY students. They have also written a song which they performed in Dublin Castle at the IWS Awards Ceremony. They launched the campaign in primary schools by holding an art competition and compiling a teacher resource pack. This included lesson plans for each class group, puzzles, information leaflets, worksheets and posters for the school. The feedback from the ten schools involved has been very positive.
